About Sevenoaks ACE

Monday, 3 June 2013

Survey Findings Report Published

After months of work, the report outlining views on secondary education in the Sevenoaks area has been published. In all 914 households responded to the survey, conducted in July 2012, providing a rich insight into the complex views held on secondary education choices.The survey achieved its objectives, in terms of targeting families with primary and pre-school age children resident in Sevenoaks and its surrounding villages. 95% of respondents had children under 18.

The top 3 factors affecting choice of secondary school were cited as:

Appearance/behaviour of existing students

Quality of head/teachers

Views of parents with children at the school

Interestingly, for only 7.8% of children, was the religious ethos of the school cited as one of the top 5 factors—it was the 9th least common factor.

21.4% of children without an 11+ might attend a faith school, with an 11+ this drops to just 4.7%

55% of children whose households have connections with Knole Academy would send other children to the school if they did not have an 11+, 30% with an 11+ and 25% with top marks in the 11+

On travel we learnt

Three quarters of respondents felt that 30 minutes was the maximum reasonable time to travel to secondary school

55% of children are travelling for more than 30 minutes each way

7% of children are travelling for more than an hour each way

and on Future Provision we were told

63% of children that might have attended a super-selective grammar might be expected to attend a grammar annexe in Sevenoaks

26% of children that might have attended Knole Academy might be expected to attend Trinity School (Christian Free School)

57% of respondents would put as first choice a school with a grammar ethos, and without a selective exam, if such a school existed

The top subject cited as crucial when selecting secondary schools was the provision of separate sciences at GCSE

A 2 page summary of the key findings can be downloaded here, and a full copy of the findings, with commentary is available here